It’s 2019, Why Does Your Website Think It’s 1999?

Jan 1, 2019
-- Posted by :
Tommy_House_Studios

When was the last time your business’s website was updated? Has it been 20 years? I certainly hope not. Mainly because your website would probably not even work with current browsers. Even if it’s only been a few years, your website is probably out of date. The average lifespan of a web design is about 3-5 years.

Many customers are introduced to and get to know business through their websites. Web design trends, techniques and tools are changing rapidly, and your website should be on the cutting edge. Here are some signs you might need to update your website.

Broken Links
There are few things that are more frustrating for customers than broken links and missing pages. We understand that it can be very time consuming to go back and check all your web pages to the connections that no longer work. However, if I’m on a website and I click a broken link, I’m pretty much done looking at that site. Broken links and missing pages mean one of two things: either new additions to your site were not ready to go live or pages have been deleted without properly deleting links to those pages. Both are signs that you may need help with your website design.

No Call-To-Action
Your website needs a call-to-action. What is a call-to-action? See our blog on this topic here. The main purpose of your website should be to get more customers. A call-to-action should be front and center on your site. The user has come to your site for a reason. Maybe Google told them you were the best for their search. Maybe they just stumbled upon you. So make it easy for people to use your service or buy your product. “Buy Now!” Get a Free Quote!” Sign up for this!” It’s just that easy.

Bad Info and Dated Photos
Things change with businesses. People quit and new people are hired. Businesses move. Products are no longer available and new products are added. Your website needs to reflect these changes, especially if big changes have happened in your company. If your business moves to a new location and your old address is still on your website—THIS IS BAD! If you sell products on your website and some tries to buy something you no longer offer but is still listed on your website—THIS IS BAD! If your top salesman now works for your competitor but his cell number is still listed on your website as a contact—THIS IS BAD! All of this is easily corrected with regular maintenance on your website.

Not Mobile Friendly
In 2018, 52.2% of all worldwide online traffic was generated through mobile phones, up from 50.3% in the previous year (Statista, 2018). If your site is not mobile friendly, you are missing out on more than half the users searching the internet for your business. Also, in 2016 Google developed a mobile-first index, which means that Google started ranking its search listings based on the mobile version content. So even if you have some mobile friendly content, if your desktop version has more content it could hurt you Google ranking. Your website needs to be fully mobile friendly.

Not secure
All the major web browsers are now warning users about insecure pages. If your website is not secure, this is a HUGE problem. You don’t want your customers to think that your business is not on the up and up. And you especially don’t want your customers’ info to get stolen on your site. In addition, if your site hasn’t been updated in a while, you probably need security patches and plugin updates to make sure everything continues to run smoothly. And your site isn’t as susceptible to hackers.

Takeaway
A lot of small business owners want to set it and forget it. But you can’t do that with your website. Your website needs to change with the times and web trends. Your website may be the only interaction a customer will have with your business. Your website needs to be in perfect working order on both desktop and mobile devices.

If you need help on your website, Tommy House Studios is here to help your business. We specialize in website design. THS also offers services in social media and SEO and we are dedicated to you, the customer, with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee. You can contact us to discuss your specific needs and to receive a free quote. Call us at 877-246-1315 or email at info@tommyhouse.com and let us help your business.

Reach Out To Us

We want to learn more about your business and help you promote and market it to its fullest potential. We have the tools, experience and an awesome team of creative fanatical thinkers onboard ready to help get your message to the masses.